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skiers and snowboarders staying at the West Hill House B & B directly to Sugarbush Resort , which is located just a mile up the road .
Across from the main house building , a striking and handsome red “ Event Barn ” overlooks a vast field , pond , and nearby golf course . The barn features an airy and well-lit main room that can comfortably accommodate up to 50 guests . It is used as an on-site venue for weddings , corporate events , and family celebrations . A terraced mezzanine area serves as an ideal spot for event DJs and spectators , and a drop-down projector screen allows for the seamless facilitation of business presentations . In the back , a well-equipped kitchen allows event staff to serve meals on-site . “ We put a great deal of effort into renovating the event barn to bring it to where it is today ,” says Peter MacLaren . “ We also had a lot of fun decorating and designing the Logan Suite , which is the only suite that is located in the Event Barn .”
The Logan Suite is the largest of the West Hill House B & B ’ s private suites and it spans two separate floors . On the first floor , a full kitchen is outfitted with a refrigerator , stove , oven , coffee maker , and microwave , as well as a bathroom with a shower . Upstairs , the suite ’ s large master bedroom features a queen-sized bed , gas fireplace , and country-chic wooden furniture and décor . The main bathroom is stylishly-appointed with a double heart-shaped jetted air tub , heated floor , and separate shower . “ It ’ s a fantastic suite for honeymoons , engagements , and romantic getaways ,” says Susan .
A Lifetime of Hospitality and Communication
According to Susan , she and Peter have always possessed an innate penchant for hospitality . “ We both grew up in households that welcomed visiting travelers ,” says Susan . “ My parents hosted many of their friends at our homes in the various place we lived in my childhood
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years , and Peter spent his younger years living with his mother at his grandmother ’ s house near a college in Glasgow , Scotland . A number of instructors or professors would stay at his house , and he would always greet them with eager excitement . We were both raised in environments where hospitality was a prized virtue . We see the work that we do here at the West Hill House B & B as a continuation of the way that we were brought up .”
After Peter MacLaren graduated from the University of Strathclyde in Glasgow in 1971 with a Bachelor ’ s of Science degree in Electrical Engineering , he began working for what is now British Telecom as an engineer in their Research & Development department . While there , he worked to assist in the development of digital microwave trunk radio systems and supervised the development of an advanced data recording system . In January of 1975 , he was offered a job as an engineer in Nortel ’ s Research & Development department , which was then known as Bell Northern Research ( BNR ). He then left the United Kingdom and resettled in Ottawa , Canada . It was there that he first met Susan . They got married in 1981 .
In 1983 , Peter transitioned from the Research & Development department of BNR and advanced to higher executive roles at Nortel . Over the course of the next several decades , he was involved in several different branches of Nortel ’ s product lines . He became focused on the rapidly emerging wireless business in the 1990s . He led departments focused on business development , marketing communication , and international standards . Peter and Susan moved to Texas in 1994 when Peter ’ s work took him to Nortel ’ s office in Richardson , near Dallas . In 2000 , Peter and Susan relocated to Paris , France . Peter had been asked to serve as the executive representative for Nortel at the onset of their collaborative venture with the European Aeronautic Defence and Space Company ( EADS ), which was later renamed Airbus Group in 2014 . While on secondment with EADS ’ telecom division , Peter worked with a team of engineers as Chief Technical Officer to improve and streamline their first responder telecommunications technology program , then helped develop plans for entering the U . S . and Canadian markets . He and Susan then moved back to Texas in 2003 , where he managed EADS ’ public safety wireless business in the United States and Canada until his retirement in 2005 .